What is now the UNC School of the Arts in Winston-Salem opened as the nation’s first public arts conservatory. Formerly known as the North Carolina School of the Arts, UNCSA was the brainchild of then Governor Terry Sanford and Asheville-born author John Ehle. State funds were appropriated in 1963 and an advisory board of nationally renowned artists were appointed to select a site.
There was much rivalry among North Carolina’s major cities to host the school. The citizens of Winston-Salem, home of the country’s first municipal Arts Council, showed particular zeal. In a two-day telephone drive, they raised more than $850,000. Thus, the conservatory began high school and undergraduate classes in Winston-Salem in 1965. The school later became part of the UNC system and added its first graduate program in 1982.
Today, UNCSA (home of the “Fighting Pickles”) offers dance, design and production, drama, filmmaking and music programs.
To learn more: uncsa.edu.
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